Judge to hear arguments to Louisiana law listing abortion pills as controlled dangerous substancesNew Foto - Judge to hear arguments to Louisiana law listing abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Arguments surrounding first-of-its-kind legislation that categorizes two widely usedabortion-inducing drugs as "controlled dangerous substances" in Louisiana are scheduled to take place before a state judge Thursday morning. In a lawsuit against the state, plaintiffs say the reclassification of misoprostol and mifepristone — which have critical reproductive health care uses in addition to being used as a two-drug regimen to end pregnancies — could cause needless and potentially life-threatening delays in treatment during medical emergencies. The legal challenge, which was filed in October, says the law may slow access to "lifesaving treatment for people experiencing obstetrical emergencies" and make it "significantly harder" for people to "obtain proven, effective remedies necessary for their treatment and care." Plaintiffs are asking the judge for a permanent injunction, ultimately to halt the law that is currently in effect. Defendants are asking the judge to dismiss the lawsuit. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, one of the defendants listed in the suit, told The Associated Press that she looks forward to "defending this law vigorously" in court. Louisiana, which has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, became the first state last year to heighten the classification of the two pills. Passage of the measure by the GOP-dominated Legislature marked a new approach in conservative efforts to restrict access to abortion pills. In 2023,nearly two-thirds of all abortionsin the country were medication abortions. The legislation spawned from anti-abortion groups and a Republican state senator's effort to prevent coerced abortion and make it more difficult for bad actors to obtain the drugs. The lawmaker pointed to the case of his sister in Texas who in 2022 was slippedseven misoprostol pillsby her husband without her knowledge; the baby survived. Over the past 15 years, news outlets have reported on similar cases — none in Louisiana — but the issue does not appear widespread. "The Louisiana Legislature spoke loud and clear last year that they stand for life and are against this controlled substance being prescribed without a prescription from a doctor," Murrill said. Prior to the reclassification, a prescription was still needed to obtain mifepristone and misoprostol in Louisiana. Before the change, medical personnel told The Associated Press that in hospitals the drugs — which are also used totreat miscarriages,induce labor and stop bleeding — were often stored in an OB-GYN unit in a "hemorrhage box" in the room, on the delivery table or in a nurse's pocket, to ensure almost-immediate access in common emergency situations. The new law reclassified the pills as "Schedule IV drugs," putting them in the same category as the opioid tramadol and other substances that can be addictive. Under the new classification, there are extra steps and more stringent storage requirements. While testifying against the legislation, doctors stressed the drugs would be moved down the hall, in locked containers or elsewhere that may result in slower access during emergency situations where every second is vital. With the heightened classification also comes increased charges. If someone knowingly possesses mifepristone or misoprostol without a valid prescription for any purpose, they could be fined up to $5,000 and sent to jail for one to five years. The law carves out protections for pregnant women who obtain the drug without a prescriptionto take on their own. Among the plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit are; a physician; a pharmacist; the Birthmark Doula Collective, an organization of people trained to provide pregnancy care before, during and after birth;Nancy Davis, a woman who was denied an abortion in Louisiana and traveled out of state for one after learning her fetus would not survive; and a woman who said she was turned away from two emergency rooms instead of being treated for a miscarriage. The legal challenge seeking a permanent injunction to halt the law is being heard before a 19th Judicial District Court judge in Baton Rouge. Thursday's hearing is expected to focus on the state's request to dismiss the lawsuit.

Judge to hear arguments to Louisiana law listing abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances

Judge to hear arguments to Louisiana law listing abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Arguments surroun...
House Republicans propose $5 billion for Donald Trump's school voucher agendaNew Foto - House Republicans propose $5 billion for Donald Trump's school voucher agenda

PresidentDonald Trump's longstanding vision to expand school choice by pumping private and religious schools with federal dollars is one step closer to becoming a reality. House Republicans signaled that they back the president's private school-voucher agenda when the House Committee on Ways and Means approved a GOP-ledbudget proposalon May 14 that would allow the federal government to spend $5 billion per year for four years on nonpublic schools. "This is going to be able to deliver scholarships for the families who need it most, so that they can attend private and parochial schools," said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) at the committee hearing. "This bill actually benefits middle-class families and working families like the ones I represent in Staten Island and Brooklyn." Families who earn under three times their local median income and who receive the federal scholarships created by the program could choose to spend the estimated $5,000 they receive on tuition or other schooling needs at private schools, parochial schools or homeschooling. The average private school inNew York state costs $21,903 per year, according to the website Private School Review. House Republicans have proposed that the program would be funded through tax credits. For every dollar an American donates to a nonprofit that grants scholarships, the federal government will reduce the person's taxable income by a dollar. The donation limit is capped at $5,000 or 10% of a person's taxable income. Trump signs executive orderBolstering school choice Trump directed the U.S. Department of Education and multiple federal agencies toprioritize school choice programsshortly after he entered office. The president's support and the federal funding proposal add to the momentum for school choice in the United States particularly in GOP-led states. Families in Texas can now use public funds topay for a nonpublic educationafter Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a$1 billionschool voucher billinto law. The program there allows for government spending of public funds on private schools, including religious schools, and homeschooling. At least 35 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico already have some school choice programs without federal dollars to back them, according to anational school choice dashboardfrom EdChoice, a national nonprofit group that advocates for school choice legislation. Texas Gov. Abbott:Signs school vouchers into law. What we know about the school choice bill Supporters for school choice largely argue that parents should have a right to choose where their kids attend school regardless of the cost and be supported with tax dollars, arguing that local public schools are often academically inferior to private or parochial schools. "If a child is stuck in a failing school, a mother should be able to move her child to a better one," wroteU.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), who earlier this year reintroduced theEducational Choice for Children Act, on May 14 on X. "That's what my school choice bill does—and it's in the House tax plan. A better educated American people is a better America." School voucher program opponents often say the programsbenefit wealthy familiesalready enrolled in private schools, and who already can afford them. They also argue that school choice programsstrip crucial state funding from public schoolsthat are required to take every student, while not everyone lives near private schools or can be accepted into them "Your expansive definition includes an entirely new $20 billion voucher system that seems to encourage parents to abandon our public schools," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX.) to House Republicans about the provision to their budget reconciliation bill at a committee's markup session on May 14. Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:House GOP advances bill to spend $5 billion on private school vouchers

House Republicans propose $5 billion for Donald Trump's school voucher agenda

House Republicans propose $5 billion for Donald Trump's school voucher agenda PresidentDonald Trump's longstanding vision to expand ...
Recap: RFK grilled over vaccines, lead, job cuts, as protesters tackled at HHS hearingNew Foto - Recap: RFK grilled over vaccines, lead, job cuts, as protesters tackled at HHS hearing

Health SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.defended the president's proposed cuts to top health agencies as committee members in the House and Senate pummeled him with questions on controversial topics and spending. He testified before the House committee on appropriations the morning of May 14 and before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in the afternoon. Nearly four months into his new job, Kennedy Jr. answered and dodged heated questions about vaccines, the measles outbreak and a recently approved spending bill. Before the Appropriations Committee, he noted that health agencies were handling the U.S. measles outbreak better than other nations have handled theirs, refusing to answer whether people should get shots for various vaccine-preventable diseases. He declined to comment on reorganization efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kennedy, who is known to take controversial stances on vaccines, recentlybacked vaccination as a preventive toolduring a measles outbreak, but noted that vaccines should be left to parents' discretion. At the House hearing, he declined to answer a lawmaker's question about whether he wouldvaccinate his own childif it were born today. He recently rolled out plans to removeartificial food dyes from the U.S. food supply, which prompted a series of questions from one lawmaker about beloved snack food from his state, Little Debbie cakes. President Donald Trump's $1.7 trillion"skinny budget" proposalfor fiscal year 2026 reduces non-defense spending by 23% compared with 2025.The budget seeks $94 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services agencies, a reduction of about 26% from the 2025 level andcuts programs and staffat agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the CDC. However, the president's budget aims to pump a $500 million infusion into Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, which is geared towards ending what he calls the "chronic disease epidemic." The program seeks to tackle the issue through nutrition and physical activity, and by cutting back on medications and improving food and drug quality and safety. One of the last lawmakers to question Kennedy about program cuts tossed out what should have been a softball question. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks asked the Health secretary to discuss the Safe to Sleep campaign that works to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. The question should have hit close to home since the department that houses the campaign, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, was named after Kennedy's paternal aunt. The campaign provides materials and messaging around evidence-based, safe sleep recommendations. The agency's participation in the program, which began in 1994 as the Back to Sleep campaign, was cut on April 1,according to Dr. Rachel Moon, a lead author of safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. When asked what office spearheads the campaign, he tried one answer (Health Resources and Services Administration) and then a second (The Administration for Children and Families). Neither was correct, Alsobrooks said. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Alsobrooks' Democratic colleague from Delaware, who sits beside her at the dais, smirked. – Adrianna Rodriguez During committee hearings on May 14, Kennedy told lawmakers that patient privacy will be protected in a new database for autism research, while also reiterating that he thinks rising rates of autism are an epidemic, despite dissent from the medical and autism communities. "Autism is an epidemic," Kennedy said. "Genes do not cause epidemics. They can contribute a vulnerability, but you need an environmental toxin." On May 7, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced their partnership to research the causes of the autism spectrum disorder, creating a database of autism-diagnosed Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. "It's entirely voluntary, patient privacy is protected, the data is digitalized and depersonalized… and patients have an absolute right to opt out of it," Kennedy said. Medical advice?RFK Jr. says don't take any advice from him. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order shortly after restricting state agencies from collecting and sharing autism-related data, in response to federal efforts to create a database for autism research. Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is the clinical name for the condition most people refer to as autism. Autism is defined as "a complex developmental condition that affects communication, social interaction and behavior," saysChristopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America. "Claiming that autism is 'preventable' is not science-based, and places unnecessary blame on people, parents and families," he said. "Autism is not a chronic disease, nor a childhood disease, it is a lifelong developmental condition; it is not an epidemic, nor should it be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic, and using language like that perpetuates falsehoods, stigma and stereotypes." – Adrianna Rodriguez In a rare moment of pushback from Republican lawmakers, Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pressed Trump's Health secretary on the sweeping layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and cuts in funding for the National Institutes of Health. The Maine Republican noted that caring for people with Alzheimer's costs billions of dollars per year. Collins was a co-author of the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act of 2024, signed intolaw by former President Joe Biden. The act authorized $33 million in support per year for Alzheimer's caregiving interventions and other matters. "How can you ensure that the CDC continues to implement the BOLD Act and the Alzheimer's programs under it when all of the staff responsible for that administration have either been placed on administrative leave or let go?" she asked Kennedy. Kennedy replied that Alzheimer's runs in his family and said he was committed to working with Collins on the issue. However, he noted he was advised by his attorneys not to comment on the CDC reorganization. –Sudiksha Kochi Sen. Tammy Baldwin opened her remarks asking what, she said, she hoped was an easy question: "Do you think lead poisoning in children is a significant concern?" Kennedy replied, "It's an extremely significant concern." Baldwin snapped back about the recent cutsto the CDC's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. In a letter sent to Kennedy on April 23, Baldwin said over 2,000 CDC employees, including the entire Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, were fired. Baldwin highlighted Milwaukee, where community members requested expert assistance from the CDC to help address a growing problem of older elementary school students with lead poisoning, she said. The request for aid was denied due to a lack of staff, Baldwin said. Kennedy countered that the administration didn't intend to halt the work of this branch of government. "You cannot tell us that you want to make America healthy again when you're willfully destroying programs that keep children safe and healthy from lead poisoning," she said. – Adrianna Rodriguez Protesters interrupted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a few minutes after he began his testimony before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. About five people in the audience rose from their seats and began charging towards the health secretary shouting, "RFK kills people with AIDS." Capitol police escorted the protestors – who appeared to range from people in their 20s to silver-haired men in suits – out of the room. Some were tackled and fell to the floor. Some of the HHS cuts have impacted the United States Agency for International Development, and experts have said the harms trickled down to global humanitarian organizations working on lifesaving programs, including ones that offered HIV health care, worked on landmine removal and provided food aid. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean referenced Kennedy's history of heroin addiction and recovery when she asked why HHS is "shuttering" the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "In active addiction, you know how difficult it is," she said. "This matters in my district. I've buried way too many kids." Kennedy pushed back against the notion that the administration planned to "shutter" the agency. Instead, he said, it would be "shifted" into the newly created Administration for Healthy America. The number of Americans who died from overdoses of drugs like fentanyl and meth dropped nearly 30% last year, falling to a level not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic,according to the CDC. Experts attribute the decrease to a combination of factors, including the wider availability of the opioid antidote naloxone, along with $50 billion in funding for drug-treatment and youth prevention efforts from the national opioid settlements. "Why would we – when we're finally seeing some success – bury that success?" Dean asked. – Adrianna Rodriguez Tennessee Republican Chuck Fleischmann pressed Kennedy about a food item that's very important to folks in his state: Little Debbie snacks. He argued that he respects the FDA's process of banning synthetic food colorings over the years, but added that the current colors "have been deemed safe for many years." Fleischmann said he represents many snack manufacturers, including M&M's and Little Debbie's. "You're going to come and visit me in a couple weeks, we can all have some M&M's and Little Debbie's together," he said. "But on a very serious note, we want to make sure that FDA has done due diligence to ensure the safety of these replacement colors." Last month, Kennedyannounced that eightartificial dyes will be eliminated from medications and the nation's food supply by the end of 2026. Kennedy in the past has linked food dyes and additives to ADHD and chronic diseases, such as obesity. "Candidly, I think these guys are safe. They've been approved, but really trying to find substitutes - the costs we've seen estimates five to 10 times to try to fix that. Will you work with me on that?" Fleischmann asked, to which Kennedy replied, "Absolutely." –Sudiksha Kochi Skirting a question on an issue that has gained him support and stoked opponents,Kennedy told Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Mark Pocanduring a hearing before a House committee he thinks Americans should not be taking medical advice from him. The issue? Vaccines. Pocan asked Kennedy, "If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?" "Probably for measles," Kennedy said, before backpedaling. "What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant." When pressed on whether he would vaccinate his children for chickenpox and Polio, Kennedy once again said he didn't want to be giving advice. Just last month, Kennedyclaimed that measles vaccines are "leaky"because their effectiveness wanes over time – an argument disputed by medical experts. Outbreaks of the highly contagious infection has led to more than 1,000 cases and three deaths in the U.S, including those of two unvaccinated children in Texas. Measles was eliminated in the U.S. by 2000 but has resurfaced with periodic outbreaks, mostly among people who are not vaccinated. In the current outbreak, 96% of measles cases occurred in unvaccinated patients or those whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the CDC. Measles vaccination rates dropped to about 92% in 2023-2024, below the 95% needed to ensure herd immunity. Babies usually get their first dose of MMR vaccine, which also protects against mumps and rubella, at around 12 months. – Swapna Venugopal RamaswamyandSudiksha Kochi When Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat, asked why the Health and Human Services Department eliminated the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, Kennedy said he was advised by his attorneys not to comment on the reorganization. "We are under acourt ordernot to do any further planning on the reorganization, and I've been advised by my attorneys not to comment," Kennedy told the Connecticut lawmaker. "But I will just say broadly, many of the programs that the Democrats are now saying were cut (at) the CDC were not cut at all." On May 9, afederal judge saidthe Trump administration must temporarily halt its sweeping government overhaul because Congress did not authorize it to carry out large-scale staffing cuts and the restructuring of agencies. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco sided with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments, and blocked large-scale mass layoffs known as "reductions in force" for 14 days. Dozens of lawsuits have challenged DOGE's work on various grounds, including violating privacy laws and exceeding its authority, with mixed results. Illston scheduled a hearing for May 22 to consider a longer-lasting preliminary injunction. – Sudiksha Kochi and Reuters Connecticut's Rep. Rosa DeLauro, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, opened her remarks by blasting PresidentDonald Trumpand billionaire Elon Musk for laying off federal employees at the Health and Human Services Department and proposing spending cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The New England Democrat donned a flashy outfit at the hearing. Known for her "hipster" style and jazzy accessories, DeLauro often stands out from her colleagues with her attire and brightly dyed hair accents. Her clash with Kennedy, once questioning began, came to a heated peak when DeLauro questioned the nation's top health official over a recently approvedspending bill that funded the government through Sept. 30. Lawmakers contend the Constitution assigns them the responsibility to decide how much to spend. But Trump and his allies argue Congress sets limits while he can spend less than lawmakers provide. "You have an obligation to carry out the law and implement what Congress has done," Delauro said, shaking her head. "Unbelievable." – Adrianna Rodriguez and Sudiksha Kochi Mother's Day hike?RFK Jr., grandkids swim in contaminated DC creek despite advice to 'stay out' Top health organizations representing patients with Alzheimer's, cancer, heart and lung disease are warning of the dangers posed by recent and proposed federal budget cuts as Kennedy testifies before a pair of Congressional committees on May 14. Leaders from the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer's outlined the consequences of these cuts and called on Congress to "take immediate action" to protect funding for biomedical research and disease prevention. In roughly five weeks this year, the U.S. National Institutes of Health terminated $1.81 billion in medical research funding,according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on May 8. "The actions taken to date and proposed further actions to cut research funding will undermine public health, weaken our global competitiveness and delay and deny cures and treatment for patients in need," said Emily Holubowich, national senior vice president of federal advocacy at the American Heart Association. – Adrianna Rodriguez Americans worry about the Trump administration's ability to contain an ongoing outbreak of measles, while the vast majority believe that vaccines for the disease are safe,according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Just 31% of respondents in the two-day poll agreed with a statement that the administration is handling the measles outbreak responsibly, while 40% disagreed and the rest were unsure or did not answer the question. The poll comes as Secretary for Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is testifying before a pair of Congressional committees on a range of controversial topics, including vaccines. The United States is currently facing its largest single outbreak of measles in 25 years, with the number of casescrossing the 1,000 mark as of May 8.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported three deaths, including two unvaccinated children in Texas. "We're doing a better job at CDC than any nation in the world at controlling the measles outbreak," Kennedy said before Congress. –Reuters Health officials have reversed cuts made in April to a massive women's health program that has been around for about thirty years. On May 6, researchers at the Women's Health Initiative learned thedecision to let the programexpire had "been rescinded" and that they could "move forward with new task orders in September," according to a statement. The WHI has led women's research since the 1990s into conditions such as cancer and heart disease and influenced clinical guidelines throughout the decades. – Adrianna Rodriguez A group from the Alzheimer's Association of America lined up early outside the House Appropriations Committee meeting room. Dean Brenner, a volunteer with the association, said they had come to express their opposition to the HHS cuts, which include manyAlzheimer's-related programs and research. "There are 7 million people over the age of 65 suffering from Alzheimer's," Brenner said. Many in the group, including Brenner, a Washington, D.C. resident, were wearing purple, the official color of the organization. He said he joined the association after his mother died in 2018 from the neurodegenerative disease. "We just want to make sure we are top of mind for members of Congress," he said. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Last month, Kennedy announced he was banning artificial food dyes, phasing out eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the nation's food supply. Kennedy has long criticizedBig Food and Big Pharma, blaming the nation's"chronic disease epidemic"on additives and junk food. He's also directed his department to conduct studies aimed at identifying "environmental toxins" behind the rising rates of autism. His critics havehammered himover his views onvaccines. Kennedy has also pushedto curbfluoride use in the water supply, saying the chemical used to protect teeth is making Americans "stupider." He has touted his plan to scale back its use in drinking water. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Recap: RFK Jr. defends massive HHS budget cuts before Congress

Recap: RFK grilled over vaccines, lead, job cuts, as protesters tackled at HHS hearing

Recap: RFK grilled over vaccines, lead, job cuts, as protesters tackled at HHS hearing Health SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.defended the pre...
'What a joke': Republicans lock horns over Medicaid proposalNew Foto - 'What a joke': Republicans lock horns over Medicaid proposal

A growing number of House Republicans -- from moderates to hardliners -- are expressing grievances with key components of the megabill encompassing President Donald Trump's legislative agenda -- threatening to undercut the package's momentum ahead of an expected vote late next week. Speaker Mike Johnson faces yet another critical test of his speakership and must corral his divided conference around the final reconciliation package in the House. Johnson can only afford to lose three GOP defections and currently there are enough lawmakers signaling opposition to stop the bill from advancing to the Senate. Several hardliners expressed deep concerns with the plan from the Energy and Commerce Committee, which completed a marathon 26-hour markup Wednesday afternoon, to overhaul Medicaid, which includes new work requirements that won't take effect until 2029 and imposes more frequent eligibility checks for beneficiaries. MORE: House Republicans plow ahead on hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts despite infighting House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris called the Medicaid plan "a joke." "The proposal to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid will do little to achieve that. The common-sense work requirement for able-bodied adults doesn't start for four years (into the next administration) and CAN BE WAIVED by any state for "hardship" that they determine (and they will). What a joke. The swamp is real. And by the way…the federal government should NOT pay states more for able-bodied, working-age adults on Medicaid than it pays states for children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities on Medicaid," Harris said in a post on X. MORE: The GOP is trying again to cut Medicaid. It's only gotten harder since 2017 Rep. Victoria Spartz, who often changes her position, said on X, "the GOP is legalizing Medicaid for illegals at a higher federal match rate than for the most vulnerable Americans -- seems hypocritical and screwed up." Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick took issue with the package at large. "I don't think I'm a yes right now, but that shouldn't surprise anybody. We have several things to work out. There's got to be a minimum savings in this year. The reason I say this is because, if you give me a 10-year plan, tell me why that won't change next year," he said. Republicans voted 30-24 to advance the bill to the House Budget Committee, which will tie together the 11 bills under reconciliation on Friday. Ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said Democrats put up a "good fight" throughout the markup. Democrats held up photos and told emotional stories of their constituents who rely on Medicaid, warning that millions of Americans will go uninsured under the GOP plan. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got into a testy exchange with GOP Rep. Randy Weber around 3 a.m. Wednesday when she asked a question about consequences for those who had miscarriages under the proposal's new work requirements to receive Medicare. "We'd like for you to address the Republicans. Let's have a dialogue this way and not to a camera," Weber said. Talking to the camera Ocasio-Cortez replied, "There are 13.7 million Americans on the other side of that screen there. Hello, hello," she said, waving to the camera. "I'm talking to you because I work for you. They deserve to see what is happening here because there are plenty of districts, including Republican ones, where 25 percent of your constituents are on Medicaid, 40 percent of your constituents are on Medicaid," she added. Later, Ocasio-Cortez responded to Weber's comment and said, "I am talking to them [constituents], and I will not yield because it was a terribly disrespectful comment, and I will not yield to disrespectful men." Weber apologized to Ocasio Cortez later Wednesday. Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee advanced part of Trump's tax bill early Wednesday after a 17 1/2-hour markup, but the state and local tax deductions cap is still in limbo and threatens the entire package -- as several GOP lawmakers from states likeNew Yorkand California object to the current proposal of a $30,000 deduction that is subject to a phaseout for those earning more than $400,000. "This does not have my support," New York Rep. Mike Lawler said. "As this stands right now, I am a no, and so they're going to need to come up with a solution here, and quickly if they want to stay on the schedule that they've outlined." Lawler said of the proposed $400,000 cap, claiming, "You're screwing a whole host of people who are getting hammered by property taxes." "So, from my vantage point, obviously we are continuing the dialogue with the speaker in good faith, and I am hopeful that we will get there, but this is something where I'm not going to be rolled," he insisted. "I'm not going to be pushed into supporting something that screws my constituents." Rep. Nick LaLota of New York also declared "there is no deal without a true SALT fix." "We are far away from a deal but at least we are talking," he added. Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison said the SALT Caucus -- including Lawler and LaLota -- should "stop bitching." MORE: Here are the times Trump has said he wouldn't cut Medicaid "You need to get behind the cuts that we need to find the savings that we need to find. Stop bitching," Burlison said. "The reality is, we're $37 trillion in debt and we have a $2 trillion deficit. This is a math problem." At one point around 5 a.m., Rep. Blake Moore of Utah, who serves as the House Republican Conference vice chairman, fell asleep in his chair. As a clerk called his name during a roll call vote on an amendment, Moore was snoozing -- slouched in his seat, eyes peacefully closed. The clerk repeated his name hoping to wake the congressman with no success. Finally, Rep. Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota leaned over and shook his arm to wake him up. Moore's eyes opened in playful embarrassment as the room burst into laughter. He dropped his head low before leaning toward the microphone to vote no before losing himself in laughter. Despite the push and pull within the conference, some Republicans are clear eyes about delivering a legislative win for the president. "I would love to see more things done with Medicaid," North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris said. "But I understand that, and I feel like we just got to look at the big picture." The House Budget Committee is slated to convene Friday morning to tie the 11 bills together under reconciliation into Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill" before sending it to the Rules Committee and then finally to the floor for a vote next week. Johnson said Republicans are "still on target" to pass the megabill by his Memorial Day Deadline. "I feel very good. We're very positive moving forward," Johnson said leaving the closed GOP conference meeting. "We're very optimistic about the path ahead. We've got a few more details to work out but we're going to work them out." 'What a joke': Republicans lock horns over Medicaid proposaloriginally appeared onabcnews.go.com

'What a joke': Republicans lock horns over Medicaid proposal

'What a joke': Republicans lock horns over Medicaid proposal A growing number of House Republicans -- from moderates to hardliners -...
Trump administration scraps Biden-era plan to limit sale of Americans' personal dataNew Foto - Trump administration scraps Biden-era plan to limit sale of Americans' personal data

(Reuters) -The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is scrapping a proposal issued under former President Joe Biden that would have sharply limited the sale of Americans' private information by "data brokers," according to a Federal Register notice issued Wednesday. The agency also yanked proposals that sought to extend consumer protections to the use of new digital payment technologies including cryptocurrency, and that would have prohibited certain terms in the fine print in consumer finance products. In a statement, Consumer Reports said the withdrawal of the data broker proposal would leave consumers "vulnerable to scams and identity theft." President Donald Trump's administration has moved this year to decimate the CFPB, initially seeking to shut it down entirely and subsequently saying it can meet its legal obligations with about 10% of its current staff. Efforts to fire large amounts of staff are currently on hold as federal courts consider the matter. Senior officials in recent days have continued undoing much of the prior administration's work in regulation and oversight. The agency last week withdrew scores of guidance documents issued across administrations since 2011. In proposing the limits on data brokers in January, former CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said the sale of Americans' private information to data brokers was a "staggering" problem that also jeopardized national security by putting government officials' privacy at risk. The CFPB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, in a Federal Register notice, Russell Vought, the current acting CFPB director, said the proposal no longer aligned with the bureau's changed policy objectives and its interpretation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. "Further, commenters raised numerous concerns related to this proposed rule that the Bureau believes require careful consideration before proceeding with a final rule," he said. These included whether the proposal was at odds with federal law. (Reporting by Douglas Gillison in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)

Trump administration scraps Biden-era plan to limit sale of Americans' personal data

Trump administration scraps Biden-era plan to limit sale of Americans' personal data (Reuters) -The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection B...

 

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